District News

While air quality in our own community remained in the good to moderate zones, and students were able to be outside, many wondered how schools would manage COVID safety if the air quality worsens for us.

Local conditions with COVID and air quality are key as school administrators navigate safe operations on campus each day. The Airnow.gov website allows us to see local Air Quality Index (AQI) levels and the recommended actions for each level. 

As the chart on the the Airnow.gov site shows:

• When the AQI reaches 51-100, it is recommended that sensitive people consider reducing prolonged/heavy exertion. 
• When the AQI is above 100, all students should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. 
• When the AQI is above 101, we are to close all windows and doors and move prolonged outdoor educational instruction indoors. 
• When AQI is 151 or higher, we are to move all activities indoors. 

We work with Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) to manage the health impacts between poor air quality and COVID-19. 

While in classrooms, the hospital grade (MERV 13) air filters in our ventilation systems are able to trap 90 percent of particulates from smoky outside air. The settings allow maximum outdoor airflow as a COVID mitigation strategy. If adjustments to the classroom airflow system is recommended, such as closing doors and windows, they will be communicated to staff and families. 

Our office staff provides teachers with notifice of all asthmatic students in their class so they can check in with these students during poor air quality days. 

The Public Health Department has shared with us that our ventilation system, and masking allow for any instances that may require bringing all activities indoors. If we are required to have students eat indoors, we will work with our school staff to allow 6 feet between students as much as is practicable. 

As we have done since the beginning, we will work with public health officials to balance the health needs related to bad air with the mitigation strategies for preventing COVID-19. Our decisions will be based on local conditions and under the guidance of experts in these areas.

The anticipation has been building as our elementary and middle school students and staff look forward to the tradition of coming on to a school campus for the first day of the school year. Though hidden by masks and face coverings, we know there will be plenty of happy smiles as we greet each other in person. 

“It has already been a joy to visit some of the orientations that our schools have offered to welcome students back and for some to welcome them to campus for the first time,” said Superintendent Shelly Viramontez.

“We know the work we are trained to do is to educate students to their highest potential, and we also continue in our commitment to keep our students safe.  We will be observing the K-12 Guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)."

For those who just want the highlights:

1. Face Coverings: Everyone on campus must wear a mask or face covering (unless exempted) while indoors. They are encouraged, but optional outdoors for students and staff. Parents who are walking their student to class must wear a mask at all times while on campus.
   Parents who want their students to wear the masks at all times, even outside, can instruct their students to do so. 
   The CDPH Guidance also requires that masks be worn during indoor sports and physical education classes, and encourages those who are unvaccinated to wear face coverings when they are in large crowded groups outside.
   
2. Physical Distance: There is currently no applicable minimum physical distancing requirement. 
   
3. Vaccinations: All district employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 or will provide a weekly negative test.  We are fortunate that Santa Clara County has among the highest vaccination rates in the nation, providing better protection to our students and community than in most of the U.S.
   It remains critical that more individuals get vaccinated to further protect the community, particularly children, the elderly, and people who are immunocompromised. Vaccination sites throughout the county continue to accept drop-ins for COVID-19 vaccines and same-day appointments are also available. Visit sccfreevax.org for the latest information and updates.
   
4. Testing and Quarantining: The guidance allows for modified quarantining so that classes may continue in-person instruction—with specific COVID testing requirements—if a positive case is discovered in that class. Testing students will require parent permission, and there will be no out-of-pocket cost to the family. There is an online meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Thursday, August 19th.  (See the related story here.)
   
5. Exposure Notifications: Suspected COVID cases are investigated thoroughly in partnership with the County Public Health Department. Those identified as Close Contacts will receive an official notice with instructions as to what actions to take. Our district also publishes a COVID-19 dashboard that shows positive cases among students and staff by school. We continue to balance our desire to be transparent with our community while protecting the privacy rights of individuals.

For those who want more details:
Our district's Safe School Opening Plan has more information. For school-specific details please visit the website of your child’s school or contact the school office.

We are looking forward to greeting your student when school begins on Thursday, August 19th!

To help you and your student prepare, we are providing some helpful information and links.
Please take a moment to watch this back-to-school video message from Campbell Union School District Superintendent Viramontez.

If you have not already done so, please be sure to complete the forms in the Back to School Information packet that was emailed to you or your child's other parent on July 30th. 

You may find these additional links helpful, too.

• Link to subscribe to the newsletter that your child's school sends every Thursday morning.
• Link to our Emergency communications web page.
• Link to our Parent Resources web page.

On August 19th, Campbell Union School District schools will welcome nearly all of its students back to campus—wearing their masks—for full-day, in-person learning.* 

“We know now that masking has been—and continues to be—a powerful tool in reducing the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Shelly Viramontez, superintendent of the district. “Now, for nearly all of our students, the benefits of in-person learning clearly outweigh the risks at this point in the pandemic.” 

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance states that “in-person instruction can occur safely without minimum physical distancing requirements when other mitigation strategies (e.g., masking) are fully implemented.” Under the new CDC guidance, universal masking also permits modified quarantine practices under certain conditions in K-12 settings, which allows for more instructional time for students.  

The CDPH guidance emphasizes: vaccination for all eligible individuals to get COVID-19 rates down throughout the community; universal masking in schools, which enables no minimum physical distancing, allowing all students access to full in-person learning, and more targeted quarantine practices, keeping students in school; Access to a COVID-19 testing program as an additional safety layer as needed.

“We will continue to follow the guidance and adapt as conditions and direction from CDPH evolve,” Viramontez said. In addition to updating school and district safe opening plans with the new guidance, Campbell Union School District also:

• Has a 98.7% vaccination rate among CUSD teachers, speech therapists, psychologists, nurses—those who have direct interaction with students. Any employees who are not vaccinated are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test each week.
• Partners with local agencies to make vaccination and testing stations available for our community at our schools.

• Enacted procedures that have thus far proven successful at preventing outbreaks in CUSD schools and offices.
• Requires all unvaccinated employees to provide a negative COVID-19 test every week.
• Will provide antigen testing to support modified quarantine, and other appropriate uses as directed by CDPH. Please note that parents/guardians must approve antigen testing for students under 13 years old.

Even with concerns around increased COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, numerous scientific studies have clearly shown that we have multiple tools in our toolbox to help keep children and educators safe. Health officials throughout California agree that it’s time to return to full in-person instruction for the benefit of students, teachers, parents, the school community and the community at large. 

“We’re excited about being able to start the year with full day  in-person learning for our students,” Viramontez said. “These are important developmental years for them and schools provide not only academic learning but also critical interpersonal interactions that influence their future.”

* There is an Independent Study option for the students who need it for health reasons. Participation in that option will require the parent/guardian to sign a Written Independent Study Agreement. Otherwise, the student will be assigned to in-person learning. Click for more information or contact Dr. Pamela Cheng, CUSD’s Director of Teaching and Learning at pcheng [at] campbellusd.org.